The Crime Doctor is the name of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The Crime Doctor is an underworld medical expert who caters exclusively to criminals, originally an enemy of Batman.
Publication history The first Crime Doctor first appeared in Detective Comics #77 (July 1943), and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane.
Fictional character biography
Matthew Thorne
On Earth-Two, Matthew Thorne is a doctor who treats criminals. His consultation with his patients have attracted the attention of Batman and Robin. Thanks to Batman's tracer invention, they are able to find his hideout. After an injured man shows up during the confrontation. Batman and the Crime Doctor work together to save the man's life. Afterwards, the Crime Doctor traps Batman and Robin and has them tied up. He and his assistant target a formula that can change the atomic order of objects. Upon obtaining it, the Crime Doctor heads to Eastington Atom Smasher to turn the base metal there into gold. After escaping, Batman and Robin catch up to the Crime Doctor. They defeat the Crime Doctor and his assistant, who are arrested.Detective Comics #77 (July 1943)
Shortly after this, the Crime Doctor escapes prison and reopens his clinic far away from Gotham. Batman and Robin learn of his escape and chase the Crime Doctor to California, where the Crime Doctor saves Robin's life after he is shot by one of the doctor's henchmen. In the end, the Crime Doctor is betrayed by one of his own men, who shoots him in the back. Before dying, the Crime Doctor apologized to Batman for his criminal actions.Batman #18 (August-September 1943)
Bradford Thorne
On Earth-One, Bradford Thorne is a notorious physician who provides criminal services as the Crime Doctor. Thorne assists criminals using his medical knowledge in return for a small percentage of the stolen loot. His modus operandi stumps the authorities of Gotham City and causes Batman to turn his attention on his crimes. Thorne eventually learns Batman's secret identity when Bruce Wayne goes to see him, seeking his medical support. When the underworld learn that Thorne knew Batman's secret, Thorne is kidnapped by businessman Sterling Silversmith, who poisons him with mercury to make him reveal the truth. Batman stops Silversmith, but Thorne's body had been damaged by mercury poisoning. It is stated that Thorne would likely be left in a permanent vegetative state; if he recovered, his memory would be completely wiped out.Detective Comics #494 - 495 (September - October 1980)
In post-Crisis continuity, the Crime Doctor recovers from his poisoning. He is now served by Rench, who acts as his nurse and bodyguard. The Crime Doctor is visited by Two-Face, who wants him to do a specific operation. Batman and Robin suspect that the Crime Doctor is going to do a heart operation on crime boss Moe McAllister by giving him Schulyer Reems' heart. With help from Reems, Batman and Robin defeat the Crime Doctor, Nurse Rench, and the rest of the Crime Doctor's minions.Detective Comics #579 (October 1987)
Crime Doctor and Rench appear as members of Alexander Luthor Jr.'s Secret Society of Super Villains.Villains United #2-3 (June 2005-July 2005)
In the "Progeny" arc of Birds of Prey, the Crime Doctor tries to "defect" from the Secret Society of Super Villains. The Society sends Prometheus to repay the Crime Doctor by torturing and killing his daughter as he had done to his victims. After a battle, the Birds of Prey almost manage to subdue Prometheus, but the Crime Doctor decides to kill himself, thus ensuring his own punishment.Birds of Prey #92 - 95 (May - August 2006) His daughter Bethany, alone and outcast by the other children, is manipulated by Lady Shiva.
The Crime Doctor is resurrected following the "Infinite Frontier" relaunch. He operates on Respawn and tries his best to keep him alive after he is severely injured. After Respawn apparently dies, Crime Doctor informs Deathstroke.Deathstroke Inc. #9 (July 2022)
Anica Balcescu
Following Matthew Thorne's death, a new Crime Doctor named Anica Balcescu, is introduced. She is a Romanian widow and a survivor of Nicolae Ceaușescu's regime who later joins the Secret Society.Manhunter (vol. 3) #32 (September 2008)
When working for Cheetah's Secret Society of Super Villains, Crime Doctor grafted the Lasso of Truth that was stolen from Wonder Woman onto Genocide.Wonder Woman (vol. 3) #28 (March 2009)
Powers and abilities The original Crime Doctor had no superhuman abilities, but was a skilled physician and expert torturer. He sometimes wielded an injector gun or scalpel.
In other media The Matthew Thorne incarnation of the Crime Doctor appears in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Paging the Crime Doctor", voiced by Joseph Campanella. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. This version is the brother of Rupert Thorne. He previously attended medical school with Thomas Wayne and Leslie Thompkins, but lost his medical license after failing to file a report about Rupert's gunshot wound. Subsequently, Matthew worked under Rupert as the Crime Doctor in hopes of regaining his license. Matthew later assists Batman in defeating Rupert before turning himself in to the police. Matthew Thorne appears in the Batman: Caped Crusader episode "The Killer Inside Me", voiced by Josh Keaton. This version is the teenage son of Rupert Thorne.
References
External links Unofficial Guide to DC Comics entry The DC Database's summary of the Crime Doctor's debut